OAKLEY | Ministry Blitz Busts Bad Bosses!

An inspection blitz by the Ministry of Labour has discovered that 78% of 304 workplaces tested are in violation of the Employment Standards Act, according to the Toronto Star.

Included in the blitz were companies like Goodlife Fitness, G4S Security, and Bowlerama. Cleaning and security companies were caught up in the bust as well.

Infractions include bad bookkeeping, excess work hours, issues with overtime pay, and violations concerning public holidays.

The ministry was able to collect $361,000 in unpaid wages for workers following this blitz.

96% of the employers found to have violated worker rights addressed the issues right away, but labour activists aren’t impressed. They believe that this highlights the violations that regularly occur in “precarious” workplaces, where employees are too vulnerable to speak out against their bosses.

Many employers claimed that they were unaware of some of the rights that they had breached.

Ministry of Labour Kevin Flynn criticized the businesses who ran afoul of the law, saying “it’s accountability. I don’t think that’s too much to ask for.”